


The Peculiar and Curious Case of Falling In Love (With You)

by meanderingmirth



Series: Common Laws [2]
Category: VIXX
Genre: Alternate Universe, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-23
Updated: 2015-12-23
Packaged: 2018-05-08 14:44:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 14,299
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5501321
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/meanderingmirth/pseuds/meanderingmirth
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>If Taekwoon thought that he might experience peace now that he and Hakyeon are finally together, he is terribly mistaken. It’s a season of festive joy and court statements, lawsuits and ugly sweaters, and a few fun holiday surprises that’ll help spread the year-end cheer.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Peculiar and Curious Case of Falling In Love (With You)

**Author's Note:**

> I’ve been waiting to write a follow up for The Laws of Life , and this one turned into a festive fic. I think I’ll be able to wrangle one more segment from this AU, and then I will (for real) be able to conclude the series!
> 
> Happy Holidays! Enjoy!

He should’ve known something was up when Hakyeon sauntered into his office sometime in the afternoon, hiding something behind his back with a delighted smile on his face.

“Taekwoon! Good afternoon!”

Taekwoon stared up at Hakyeon over the edge of his reading glasses for a few moments, blinking, and when he realized that Hakyeon was in fact not a hallucination created by his worn out brain after feverishly pouring over his case for hours, he put his highlighter down and straightened up in his chair.

“Good afternoon...? What are you doing here, Hakyeon?”

“What, can’t I come by and say hello to my cute boyfriend?” Hakyeon pouted, arms still behind his back. Taekwoon squinted at him.

“What are you holding behind your back?”

“It’s a surprise,” Hakyeon grinned.

“...I don’t like surprises.”

“But you’ll like this one! I know it!” Hakyeon said brightly, bouncing over to the front of Taekwoon’s desk. He leaned over, eyes sparkling with mirth as he stage-whispered, “But first, you gotta earn the surprise.”

Taekwoon resisted the urge to pinch the bridge of his nose, even as his heart thudded with traitorous emotion. “I’m working,” he protested weakly.

“Take a break,” Hakyeon said in a way that sounded more or less like  _nice excuse, but try harder_. He should’ve known it would take more than that to deter his boyfriend. Also, he was pretty tired of going over his notes already.

Sighing, Taekwoon made a show of taking his glasses off his face before he pushed himself up from his seat and (after throwing a furtive glance towards the half-shut blinds) gave Hakyeon a quick peck on the lips.

He withdrew before Hakyeon could even lean forwards to deepen the kiss, face flushing hotly as he nearly slid off his seat in embarrassment. Hakyeon burst out laughing, the corners of his eyes crinkling beautifully as he watched Taekwoon struggle to pull himself back up.

“You’re adorable, Taekwoon,” Hakyeon cooed, making Taekwoon glower up at him. “So, as promised, here’s your surprise!”

He whipped a surprisingly large box out from behind his back and plopped it onto the table, right on top of Taekwoon’s notes on the latest case. There was no brand stamped across its surface, but there was a huge, floppy pink bow tied over it. Taekwoon crawled back into a more suitable position on his chair and stared down at it.

“...what is that?”

“Your surprise, duh,” Hakyeon said, undoing the front of his coat as he plonked himself down into one of the client’s seats. He shuffled forwards with an expectant shine in his eyes. “Go on, open it!”

“Don’t you have a chamber to run?” Taekwoon asked, but he reached over and began undoing the ribbon all the same. He was eternally glad that the serial busybodies of his own chamber, Sanghyuk and Jaehwan, were actually preoccupied with their own work, and presently unaware of what was happening in his office. They would undoubtably be all over this new development in an instant.

“I’m taking a break,” Hakyeon chuckled, resting his elbow on the desk as he propped his chin up with the palm of his hand.

“So you walk all the way down the block to my place?” Taekwoon asked, sliding the ribbon off the box. He draped it over Hakyeon’s head as an afterthought, and Hakyeon giggled, carefully rearranging the soft satin on his hair.

“Perks of being the boss,” Hakyeon winked, and Taekwoon shook his head, trying to hide his own little smile.

“Stop trying to skip out on work.”

“I’ll have you know I earned this break after my hard work this morning,” Hakyeon huffed. He leaned forwards and linked his fingers together, dropping his chin down onto his hands. “Another day in court means another day where justice prevails.”

“Have you been watching your nephews’ superhero shows again?” Taekwoon asked, arching an eyebrow as he finally pulled the tape off the side of the box. He removed the lid, revealing a horrid amount of a crunchy tissue paper, and he sighed as he began digging for his surprise.

“I’m just doing my duty to uphold the law,” Hakyeon winked, and then his eyes brightened when Taekwoon finally cleared out the last piece of tissue paper. “Aha!”

Taekwoon frowned, fingers curling around soft wool as he lifted a bright red sweater out from the box. It sagged in his hands as he turned it around and revealed a mess of pom-poms and sparkling beads stitched in some horrific pattern. For some reason, an enormous, bedazzled silver heart was stitched on the left side of his sweater, going all the way around until the other half showed on the back of the garment. Taekwoon touched the fuzzy material with hesitant fingers and decided it felt far too much like Leo the cat’s hair on bad fur days for him to feel comfortable with. It was quite a creation.

“What is this, Hakyeon.”

“An ugly Christmas sweater!” Hakyeon grinned. “Isn’t it hideous?”

“Yes. Yes, it is.” That he could readily agree on. “Why are you giving me ugly clothing?”

“Well, I was thinking—”

“Never a good sign,” Taekwoon joked, and Hakyeon pretended to glare at him.

“Hush. As I was saying, I was thinking about what our chambers could do this holiday, and the easiest solution is to hold a party in one of our offices! And here’s where I suggest it take place at mine, since I’ve got more floor space in general and a toaster oven in the break room—”

“Hey, so do we,” Taekwoon interrupted, indignant, and Hakyeon rolled his eyes.

“Yes, but it doesn’t work, not after Jaehwan tried baking experimental pottery in there, so that doesn’t count. Anyway! Party at my place, but I thought that we should make it interesting by making it an ugly sweater party!”

Taekwoon stared at the questionable sweater in his hands, finally realizing why his boyfriend had gifted him this, and then looked over at Hakyeon, judging. “That’s neither creative nor original.”

“But it  _is_  fun!” Hakyeon grinned, and Taekwoon slumped. The sweater fell back into a bunch in the box.

“Do I have to wear this?”

“Yes,” Hakyeon nodded.

“Where’s yours?”

“Mine’s gonna be a surprise,” Hakyeon winked, leaping up from his chair to do a little twirl. The pink ribbon slipped off and he caught it with his hands, grinning. “You’ll have to see the day of!”

Taekwoon squinted at him. “If your sweater’s a normal sweater after you gave me this monstrosity—”

“Oh please,” Hakyeon laughed. “I won’t back out on this one, not when it’s my own idea. I promise you, I have an equally ugly sweater to wear for the party.”

“Well, if I show up at that party and you’re in, I dunno, a cardigan or a sweater vest, I swear I’ll—”

“Well, we all know how much you love me in a sweater vest,” Hakyeon chuckled, eyes sparkling as he leaned over the desk to throw the ribbon around Taekwoon’s neck. He tugged, and Taekwoon let himself fall forwards, sighing in fond resignation as Hakyeon kissed him again, this time lasting much longer than a little peck. Kissing Hakyeon was really nice, Taekwoon had come to realize. Maybe it was because Hakyeon always used liberal amounts of lip balm or Taekwoon had just come to enjoy the way Hakyeon liked to smile into their kisses, but either way, kissing Hakyeon felt nice, warm. Relaxing and comforting.

The door to his office banged open and Jaehwan burst into the room with a flurry of loose-leaf papers. Taekwoon jolted and was about to straighten again, but to his surprise, Hakyeon yanked on the ribbon and made him loose his balance. Taekwoon fell onto his elbows while Hakyeon pulled him even closer, keeping their lips mashed together.

“Hey, so, prosecutor’s office called,” Jaehwan yelled as he strolled in, flipping through some badly stapled packages as he frowned down at its contents. “They’re still really insistent that you take the trespassing case because they’re swamped with work, but I really wouldn’t advise it because I’ve been going through the paperwork for it all morning and to be honest it looks like a nightmare to deal with, which is probably why they don’t want it. But since you’re a masochist for your job, you’re probably gonna take the case anyway. Also! The archives you ordered from the library also came in, and so did the chamber’s takeout tab, so there’s that.”

Jaehwan set the papers and the billing envelope down as Taekwoon spluttered in a kind of muffled way, Hakyeon’s lips still glued to his. He was about to pinch Hakyeon when his boyfriend did that wonderfully ridiculous thing with his tongue that nearly made Taekwoon collapse against the desk, boneless, thinking  _wow that is not fair_.

“Also, Hakyeon, good to see you,” Jaehwan added, completely unperturbed as he plucked out a mint from the little container sitting on Taekwoon’s desk. “Our chamber would love to attend that party you’re throwing, I’m sure next week would work for us. Anyway, I’m off! Somebody has to work at this office.”

Taekwoon really broke away from Hakyeon then, ready to launch himself indignantly at Jaehwan, but the barrister was skipping out the door, nearly crashing into Wonshik as the paralegal was walking past. Taekwoon settled back into his chair and rubbed his temples slowly, sighing.

“Cute,” Hakyeon giggled, and Taekwoon gave him a look too. “Aw, don’t make that pouty face at me!”

“I don’t pout.”

“Big bad Lawyer Jung pouts like a three year old,” Hakyeon teased, an innocent smile on his face. “Well! Since Jaehwan agreed I guess I’ll be seeing you and your co-workers at the party!”

“If these cases don’t kill me first,” Taekwoon shook his head, staring down at the mess of paper and manila folders. Hakyeon chuckled and walked around the desk, carefully unwinding the ribbon around his neck. Then he leaned in and pecked Taekwoon on the cheek, the gesture sweet and gentle.

“You’ll figure it out,” Hakyeon said, patting his back. “Big bad Lawyer Jung also scares the pants off the defendants during cross-examination, so I’m confident you’ll do well, just like every other case.”

The corners of his mouth twitched upwards as he ducked his head, trying to hide the red in his cheeks from Hakyeon’s praise. “Thanks,” he said, reaching out to grope blindly for Hakyeon’s hand, linking their fingers briefly together when he does. “I’m sure the answer is in my piles and piles of notes somewhere.”

Hakyeon laughed and gave his hand a squeeze before he slipped away, buttoning his coat up as he walked towards the door. “Well, I won’t bother you now that you’re back in the groove,” he said, grinning cheekily. “I’ll text you later on tonight?”

“Sure,” Taekwoon nodded. “I won’t be going to bed any time earlier than midnight anyway.”

“Justice never sleeps,” Hakyeon agreed solemnly, hand on the doorknob as he waved. “I’ll send you a time and date for the party! And don’t forget to wear the sweater!”

“I won’t,” Taekwoon sighed, and Hakyeon blew him a kiss before flouncing out the door. He watched his boyfriend run around his office for a few moments, conversing about god-knows-what with the others before disappearing out the door, presumably to return to his own building.

He reached over and picked up the trespassing case Jaehwan had left with him, peering at the bright yellow sticky note stuck on the first page, with Seungho’s slanted writing practically pleading with him to just take the case, for the love of god. Taekwoon sighed, weighing the stack of papers in his hands, already plotting all the different ways he could wheedle a free meal or three out of his mentor. He set that thought and the folder down to the side before eyeing the Christmas sweater on his desk, with its horrible clashing colours and ridiculous accessories.

“Why this ugly thing...?” Taekwoon mused quietly, running his fingers over the threads. It was definitely soft and very warm though, he’d give it that. Maybe he’ll wear it under his coat while shovelling snow off his parents' driveway or something.

+

**_(The Three Musketeers + Wonshik ▼4 people)_ **

**_(12:38pm) cute_nose_fairy *_ ** **_･ﾟ_ ** **_✧_ ** _: they were kissing in there. now pay up_

 **_(12:38pm) konohaninja95_ ** _: u don’t get money if we all knew what was gonna happen. get with the program, jaehwan_

 **_(12:39pm) cute_nose_fairy *_ ** **_･ﾟ_ ** **_✧_ ** _: OK, but consider this: tongues_

 **_(12:39pm) ParkHyoshinFan0929_ ** _: oh, good god, i did not need that mental image_

 **_(12:40pm) konohaninja95_ ** _: nobody asked u to imagine it hongbinnie lolol why would u even_

 **_(12:40pm) ParkHyoshinFan0929_ ** _: -_-_

 **_(12:40pm) RRRRAVEH_ ** _: so are any of u gonna work or am I alone in this whole ‘do my job get paid’ kinda thing?_

 **_(12:40pm) konohaninja95_ ** _: ur no fun wonshik_

 **_(12:40pm) konohaninja95_ ** _: theres a reason why this convo is called 3 musketeers PLUS wonshik_

 **_(12:41pm) RRRRAVEH_ ** _: and why’s that_

 **_(12:41pm) konohaninja95_ ** _: bc bin and jaehwan and i are invested in helping maintain our boss’ relationship and ur just sitting off to the side, with no initiative or proactive-ness in the matter. so we’re excluding u_

 **_(12:42pm) ParkHyoshinFan0929_ ** _: is proactive-ness even a word?_

 **_(12:42pm) RRRRAVEH_ ** _: im going to file a complaint with HR sanghyuk_

 **_(12:42pm) konohaninja95_ ** _: GOOD, GO CRY_

 **_(12:42pm) RRRRAVEH_ ** _: holy_

 **_(12:43pm) ParkHyoshinFan0929_ ** _: sanghyuk will u pls relax. i have to go pick up a report from the police station and i dont want to come back and find that you’ve demolished wonshik and jaehwan_

 **_(12:43pm) RRRRAVEH_ ** _: actually im going to get a witness statement so i wont be in the office either_

 **_(12:43pm) konohaninja95_ ** _: wait I need to go back to campus too can you give me a life_

 **_(12:44pm) konohaninja95_ ** _: *lift_

 **_(12:44pm) RRRRAVEH_ ** _: LMAO fine ok meet me in the garage in five_

 **_(12:45pm) cute_nose_fairy *_ ** **_･ﾟ_ ** **_✧_ ** _: hang on u guys can’t leave me here in the office alone with taekwoon guys pls_

 **_(12:46pm) cute_nose_fairy *_ ** **_･ﾟ_ ** **_✧_ ** _: guysssss_

 **_(12:55pm) cute_nose_fairy *_ ** **_･ﾟ_ ** **_✧_ ** _: gUYS_

 **_(1:00pm) cute_nose_fairy *_ ** **_･ﾟ_ ** **_✧_ ** _: jerks_

_+_

The moment Taekwoon walked into  _Cha & Seo Lawyers_ with his troupe and laid eyes on what Hakyeon was wearing, he instantly realized why his boyfriend had insisted that Taekwoon wore the ugly sweater he brought him.

“There you guys are!” Eunkwang shouted, ushering a stiff Taekwoon into the break room and kitchen. Minhyuk lifted the sparkling wine and biscuits off him before he could drop it on the floor. He wasn’t even wearing an ugly sweater; he had a sleeveless reindeer onesie on instead. “We’ve been waiting forever, I think Sungjae’s already binged a whole plate of ham and cheese sandwiches.”

Sanghyuk took off immediately at that, presumably to one-up his friend in the amount of tiny triangle sandwiches he could stuff into his mouth at once. Taekwoon squirmed uncomfortably in the warmth of the room, sweating slightly under the combined warmth of his hidden sweater and winter coat, but then Minhyuk offered to take his jacket for him and he immediately shook his head.

Minhyuk raised an eyebrow at him. “You can’t seriously be that cold, Taekwoon. We’ve got the heat cranked up so high in here because Ilhoon gets bad circulation and then goes around pressing his icy hands onto our necks whenever he gets the chance.”

“It’s alright,” Taekwoon muttered, avoiding Minhyuk’s grabby hands. “I’m fine wearing my coat.”

“It’s an ugly sweater party, so if you’re gonna be embarrassed about your sweater don’t worry. As long as Changsub’s wearing that one with Santa Claus in a bikini, you won’t have the worst one on.”

“Oh, gross,” Jaehwan laughed, already helping himself to the wine on the counter top, which was buried under heaps of traditional snacks and appetizers. There was also an interestingly large assortment of gummy worms, though Taekwoon couldn’t fathom why. He backed away from Minhyuk, stammering out half-hearted explanations until he bumped into a solid chest and warm arms wrapped around him from behind.

“What’re you doing, Taekwoon?” Hakyeon asked, grinning from ear to ear, and Taekwoon flushed.

“You—”

“Me,” Hakyeon singsonged, giving his waist a squeeze, and Taekwoon tried to wiggle out of Hakeyon’s hug with no success.

“You planned this,” he accused, instead, and Hakyeon laughed.

“Obviously,” his boyfriend said, nuzzling into his back with his forehead. Sanghyuk and Sungjae managed to harmonize their aww’s from the sidelines, and Taekwoon was sure his face was going to turn maroon soon. Just as he was about to come up with a retort, Hakyeon spun him around, quick as a cat, and yanked the zipper of his jacket down.

Taekwoon yelped, but Minhyuk, the dirty conspirator, just tugged his coat off his shoulders. There was a beat of silence as everybody took in his sweater, and then Jaehwan burst out in a shrieking laughing in an instant. Taekwoon covered his face, the tips of his ears burning, and he felt Hakyeon’s hands reach up to hold his wrists.

“Aw, Taekwoon, don’t hide your face, we look so good together, don’t we?” Hakyeon asked, beaming radiantly in his own ugly sweater, bright red with pom-poms and beads, just like Taekwoon’s. But where Taekwoon’s bedazzled heart was stitched into the left side, Hakyeon’s was stitched onto the right, and together the two halves became one whole heart when they stood side by side.

“Those are  _adorable_  couple sweaters,” Eunkwang said between snorts of laughter, and Taekwoon would’ve squatted down out of pure embarrassment if Hakyeon hadn’t wrapped an arm around his waist and pulled him close.

“We’re cute, aren’t we?” he grinned. “Somebody take a picture!”

“With pleasure,” Sanghyuk choked out, stumbling over with his cell phone while Hongbin had to stifle his own laugh behind both hands. As the shutter noise sounded, Taekwoon made a mental note to pilfer all of Sanghyuk’s caffeinated chocolate bars and devour them once he got the chance.

“C’mon,” Hakyeon said, gently prying his hands off his face. “These aren’t so bad, are they?”

“Yes they are,” Taekwoon mumbled, trying not to sound like he was whining. Hakyeon laughed, the sound light and sweet, and gave him a quick kiss on the lips.

“I’ll make it up to you,” he promised, beaming at Taekwoon even as the others screeched and fled, yelling something along the lines of how gross it was watching their parents kiss. Taekwoon didn’t really mind that; without an audience, he’s more inclined to relax in Hakyeon’s hug and humour his boyfriend.

“You better,” he said, pinching Hakyeon’s cheek, grinning to himself when Hakyeon whined at him.

“Bully.”

“Excuse me, who’s the one who tricked me into wearing this heinous matching thing?” Taekwoon demanded, and Hakeyon made a cute face at him.

“Guilty as charged,” he admitted. “But would you have worn it otherwise?”

“Absolutely not.”

“Well, there you are,” Hakyeon smirked.

“That’s a lie by omission,” Taekwoon challenged. “An intentional failure to tell the truth about a situation that requires disclosure.”

“Maybe,” Hakyeon conceded, but the sparkle in his eyes showed that he wasn’t ready to back down yet. “But you never asked, Taekwoon.”

“I recall asking where yours was—”

“But you didn’t ask  _what_  it was,” Hakyeon smirked, and Taekwoon paused, thinking back to their conversation in his office a week ago. Damn. “I just told you it was a surprise. No fault in that. You just didn’t pursue the matter.”

“...you’re sly,” Taekwoon grumbled, dropping his hands onto Hakyeon’s shoulders. Hakyeon’s expression lit up at that.

“Oh my, don’t tell me I’ve rendered the great Lawyer Jung speechless during an examination? The stars have aligned! Call the press!”

“Yeah, yeah, don’t get a big head now,” Taekwoon snorted, giving Hakyeon a light flick to the forehead.

“But hey, I can actually say that I render you speechless, right? Right?”

“If that’s what makes you tick,” Taekwoon sighed, but he allowed the little smile to sneak up on him regardless. “You’re the only one who can really do that, anyway.”

The warmth in Hakyeon’s smile would’ve been enough to melt the icicles hanging from the window ledges outside, and Taekwoon’s certain his heart was going to burst at the sight of this handsome man, smiling up at him in his arms, pretty mouth spilling witty words that made his head spin and his knees comically weak.

“Hey, you two! Quit having a whisper session in the kitchen and get out here, we’re playing a game now!” Hongbin yelled from around the corner, and Taekwoon reluctantly allowed Hakyeon to step away from him. Almost like he could sense Taekwoon’s disgruntlement, Hakyeon chuckled and slid his fingers between Taekwoon’s, tugging him back towards the work area. They really did go all out with decorations this year, he thought as he looked around. While the tinsel, baubles and badly cut-up paper snowflakes dangling from the ceiling were rather questionable, the tree set up at the back of the office was glittering with rows and rows of fairy lights that twinkled and changed colours. Glass ornaments dangled from its branches and a beautiful silver star stood poised at the top, glittering lightly.

“Peniel and Hyunsik did the tree this year,” Hakyeon said. “Isn’t it pretty? Ilhoon and Sungjae nearly demolished the poor thing last year trying to slam dunk the ornaments onto it, so we summarily banned them from decorating the tree ever again.”

“A harsh sentence,” Taekwoon snorted. “Any hope for an appeal?”

“Not that I can see in the near future,” Hakyeon grunted, actually looking a little cheesed. “The fir was a bitch to clean.”

“How regretful,” Taekwoon replied, and he was fighting not to laugh. There was a wonderful aroma of mulled wine and fresh-baked cookies in the air, and it was enough to make him forget about the ugly couple sweater for a few moments, at least.

“Have you decorated your tree yet?” Hakyeon asked, and Taekwon shook his head. The others were doing some weird limbo competition in the middle of the office and Sanghyuk was currently lying on the floor while the others pelted him with candy canes, hooting like baboons.

“I only keep a small one, and it already came decorated.”

“Boo,” Hakyeon said, scrunching his nose at him. “You’re boring.”

“As if I’ve got time to buy a tree and put it up in my apartment,” Taekwoon said, nudging Hakyeon in the ribs. “I don’t stay in a townhouse like you, remember.”

“Fine, I guess that’s acceptable,” Hakyeon sighed, putting up a huge show of slumping his shoulders. “I wouldn’t want to haul a giant tree into the elevator or up seven flights of stairs either. But! If you have time, you should come over and help decorate mine.”

“Alright. When I clear my cases out,” Taekwoon promised, and Hakyeon leaned over to give him a little kiss on his cheek.

“Can’t wait,” he laughed, and Taekwoon coudln’t help but find himself thinking,  _me too_.

+

**_(The Three Musketeers + Wonshik ▼4 people)_ **

**_(10:06pm) konohaninja95 uploaded an image_ **

**_(10:06pm) konohaninja95_ ** _: im still laughin look at taekwoons face in that photo look at that dumb sweater i cant stop somebody help me bless hakyeon oh my god_

 **_(10:08pm) ParkHyoshinFan0929_ ** _: photo of the year tbh_

 **_(10:11pm) RRRRAVEH_ ** _: we should frame this and gift it to taekwoon for christmas_

 **_(10:13pm) cute_nose_fairy *_ ** **_･ﾟ_ ** **_✧_ ** _: do wanna die this holiday season wonshik lol_

 **_(10:13pm) RRRRAVEH_ ** _: between taekwoon and my four aunts asking if im in a relationship yet this season i actually think i’ll face taekwoon_

 **_(10:13pm) ParkHyoshinFan0929_ ** _: unrest in the Kim household over Wonshik’s single status lmao_

 **_(10:15pm) konohaninja95_ ** _: well at least we know taekwoon and hakyeon won’t have to deal with those questions at the dinner table this year_

 **_(10:16pm) RRRRAVEH_ ** _: ugh lucky bastards_

 **_(10:16pm) cute_nose_fairy *_ ** **_･ﾟ_ ** **_✧_ ** _: just go find somebody to pretend to be ur date for like a day_

 **_(10:18pm) RRRRAVEH_ ** _: thats not gonna work it can’t be just anyone my aunts r picky they’ll start a round of twenty questions that’ll put jaehwan’s cross-examination skills to shame_

 **_(10:20pm) cute_nose_fairy *_ ** **_･ﾟ_ ** **_✧_ ** _: wow just get someone who doesn’t cave easy under pressure when ppl keep unloading a billion questions on them at once_

 **_(10:21pm) konohaninja95_ ** _: jaehwan u just basically described hongbin_

 **_(10:21pm) cute_nose_fairy *_ ** **_･ﾟ_ ** **_✧_ ** _: oh_

 **_(10:22pm) RRRRAVEH_ ** _: HONGBIN DO U WANT TO BE MY FAKE DATE THIS CHRISTMAS_

 **_(10:22pm) ParkHyoshinFan0929_ ** _: id rather face the Honourable Mister Park Hyoshin in court wearing Taekwoon’s sweater than be ur fake date :-)_

 **_(10:23pm) RRRRAVEH_ ** _: omg rude_

+

Perhaps some of Hakyeon’s holiday cheer had rubbed off on him at one point, but Taekwoon couldn’t really stop himself from picking out a few new lights for his patio when he went out for groceries. Stores really did go all out this time of year, he thought to himself as he strolled through the mall conjoining the supermarket. They boasted huge holiday deals in giant posters and towering displays that looked like they might topple over if someone so much as brushed by a little too quickly. His thoughts wandered over to Hakyeon as he walked past sales reps handing out free samples and haggard retail employees giving customers the stink eyes as the neatly folded clothing piles were mussed up again, definitely by holiday shoppers in search for the perfect gift.

He paused on a rather important question he’d been considering in the back of his mind whenever he had a break between court dates and research: what would Hakyeon like for Christmas?

Taekwoon hummed as he stopped outside a men’s outwear store, glancing at the dressed-up mannequins in the windows. The coats and shirts were nice, but Hakyeon wasn’t short of anything when it came to something as simple as a neat shirt, and almost all his suits were custom-made at a brand name store he’s frequented for a while now. Turning away, Taekwoon’s gaze led him towards a chocolate store and down its rows and rows of treats and goodies. But what good is a gift that could be eaten? It might be tasty then, but Taekwoon wouldn’t want Hakyeon to just eat his present and have no other use for it. Hakyeon would probably make him eat most of it anyway, moaning about how difficult it was to maintain his weight when he spent all those hours sitting behind a desk despite his already fit figure. He might’ve considered getting Hakyeon a membership at the gym in his building, which was a pretty decently furbished one, but Hakyeon already had benefits from Minhyuk, whose family owned a chain of gyms. He frowned, hands tucked into the pockets of his coat, and walked on. That’s one more possibility scratched off the list.

A jewellery store caught his eye with its wide selection of accessories, anything from flashy diamond-studded rings to necklaces on long chains and sparkling earrings. He paused in front of a display of smooth, stainless steel designs sitting under the glare of brilliant white light, admiring the intricate designs. He could envision Hakyeon wearing something as modern as those earrings, but even though the both of them had their ears pierced, Taekwoon hadn’t worn his earrings since he started speaking in court and he knew Hakyeon didn’t either, not when both of them had a professional image to keep. Personally, he couldn’t imagine how the simple earring, decorated with a reserved black stone, could be considered unprofessional. It was a handsome piece of jewellery, and the vision of Hakyeon wearing it with one of his bespoke suits was an elegant image.

“Can I help you with anything, sir?”

He looked up when a woman walked over, her expression inquiring, and Taekwoon backed away, shaking his head.

“Just looking,” he said, nodding to her as he left the store. Well, elegant or not, Hakyeon probably wouldn’t have many outstanding opportunities to wear it outside of work anyway.

His phone buzzed in his pocket as he made it out into the parking lot, signalling a message. When he unlocked his phone, Hakyeon’s conversation popped up, along with his boyfriend’s new display picture, one where he was making kissey faces at Leo while the cat kept on batting Hakyeon’s face away with his paw.

**_(Hakyeon, Taekwoon ▼2 people)_ **

**_(5:45pm) cha-cha-nnn_** _: r u free right now?_ (´ε｀*)

 **_(5:45pm) j.taek_ ** _: I just finished grocery shopping. what is it?_

 **_(5:46pm) cha-cha-nnn_ ** _: wanna meet up with me? i found this really nice coffee shop in my area, i think you’ll like it_

Never one to turn down coffee, Taekwoon stuck his keys into his ignition and turned his car on, putting the heater on full blast as he typed out his response.

 **_(5:47pm) j.taek_ ** _: sounds good, what’s the address?_

 ** _(5:47pm) cha-cha-nnn_** _: on the corner of Sixth and LR. It’s called Best Friend Café. not a rly creative name, i kno, but trust me, it’s worth ur time_ (｡•̀ᴗ-)✧

Curiosity prickled at the edges of Taekwoon’s thoughts as he texted Hakyeon a quick estimate of how long it’d take him to arrive. Hakyeon, by nature, was not a big coffee drinker, and it took a  _really_  stellar brew for him to give it actual praise.

On the outside, Best Friend Café didn’t look anything special; Taekwoon slotted his car into one of the parallel parking spots down the street and brought a parking pass for an hour. As he walked up to the eatery, he took in the simple, white-bricked exterior and the generic Christmas decorations hung up around the windows. The interior of the place was decidedly comfy, with plush armchairs, rounded glass tables, and a yellow glow cast by hanging lightbulbs that gave it a rather homely atmosphere. But Taekwoon was surprised to see Hakyeon waiting for him by the doorway of the café, still in his coat with his briefcase tucked under his arm, standing instead of sitting down.

“You made it,” Hakyeon said happily when Taekwoon walked in, letting the heat wash over him after his brief exposure to the cold. He nodded, leaning in to kiss Hakyeon; in turn, Hakyeon pressed his warm hands against Taekwoon’s cheeks, holding him close. When they parted, he had to fight the blush threatening to rise in his cheeks. They’ve been dating since early spring that year— almost eight months now— but Taekwoon still couldn’t get over the little gestures Hakyeon did to make him feel comfortable, to show him love.

“I was wondering what kind of coffee shop would’ve caught your attention enough to recommend it to me,” he said, and Hakyeon’s smile turned a little conspiratorial at that.

“You’ll see,” he said. “Did you actually want to get a coffee? Or do you want me to introduce the café’s specialty to you first?”

Taekwoon blinked. “Aren’t we here to try the coffee?” he asked, confused. Hakyeon grinned at him.

“When did I ever say we were gonna drink coffee?” he shot back, and now Taekwoon was definitely confused.

“Is there anything else to do at a coffee shop...?”

Hakyeon chuckled, and if his hands weren’t still holding Taekwoon’s face he probably would’ve been rubbing them together with child-like glee. “Let me show you then,” Hakyeon said, stooping to pick up his briefcase with one hand and grasping Taekwoon’s with the other. He pulled Taekwoon through the café, nodding at the barista polishing glasses behind the counter as they did. There was a door at the back, and there was a little wooden sign hanging from a chain above the doorway. Hakyeon pushed it open, leading Taekwoon through, and the first thing he saw when he walked in were—

“Puppies,” Taekwoon stammered, eyes widening in surprise. They were standing in a well-ventilated room, one that rather looked like the interior of a pet shop. Most of the room were sectioned off into a play pen, where nearly a dozen tiny pups were running around, yipping as they bounced around a few café goers sitting with the puppies in the pen. Taekwoon covered his mouth, hiding the excitable smile on his face as he spun around to look at Hakyeon.

“There are puppies!” he couldn’t stop himself from exclaiming, and blushed when Hakyeon’s look for him turned positively fond.

“Toldya you’d like it,” his boyfriend grinned. An attendant walked over to them, welcoming the two as she told them to remove their shoes and sanitize their hands before going in to play with the animals. Hakyeon laughed when Taekwoon nearly stumbled over his own shoes, catching him by the arm just in time.

“Give me your coat, you big dork,” he teased. “I’ll hang it up for you.”

Taekwoon grinned sheepishly, but he waited for Hakyeon to return as he stood by the gate of the pen. When he stepped inside, he was immediately swarmed by several excitable little pups, all leaping up at him in hopes of getting his attention. He settled on the floor, Hakyeon by his side as the two of them welcomed an armful of happy dogs.

“This café was made in conjunction with a local shelter,” Hakyeon explained, cuddling a wiggling ball of fluff in his arms. “My sister saw a favourable online review and told me to go check it out. People can come by for a coffee and a drink, and see if there are any puppies they’d like to adopt as well. The combination seems like a good way to handle business and attract both coffee lovers and pet lovers, in any case.”

“Have you picked out a favourite here?” Taekwoon asked, scratching a little golden retriever behind the ears. Hakyeon smiled and gave the dog in his arms a little squeeze.

“This is N-Mi,” he said, making the puppy wave its paw cutely at Taekwoon. He reached out and shook the paw, and the puppy’s bushy tail wagged so fast he thought it might fall off. “She’s a tricoloured Pomeranian, about four months old. She ran up to me the first time I came here and recognizes me every time, don’t you, baby?”

N-Mi gave a short bark, and Hakyeon cooed, dropping a kiss on the top of the puppy’s head. Taekwoon grinned at the sight.

“Are you thinking about adopting her then? She seems quite attached to you.”

“I asked,” Hakyeon admitted, laughing when N-Mi squirmed out of his hold and leapt into Taekwoon’s lap instead. “See the red tag on her collar? That means her medical records are still in the process of being updated, so they’re not putting her up for adoption yet, even if she’s already gotten all of her shots. Besides, I already heard that someone’s asked to take her home once everything is cleared, so she’ll be going away with another family.”

“Ah,” Taekwoon said quietly, stroking N-Mi’s soft fur. She was so tiny, small enough for him to easily hold with both hands. Hakyeon’s eyes were soft as he watched the two of them play. “That’s too bad.”

“It’s okay,” Hakyeon shrugged, leaning against Taekwoon’s shoulder as he looped their arms together. “As long as she’s got a good family looking after her. I’ll just drop by as often as I can and play with her till then. Besides, I’ve already got you to look after when you’re in a work funk,” he added, eyes glittering with mirth. “I don’t think I can completely devote my time to a pet when I’m already looking after you.”

“I can take care of myself, thank you very much,” Taekwoon said, pinching Hakyeon’s nose and holding on until Hakyeon whined for him to let go. N-Mi immediately rushed to Hakeyon’s defence, yipping and licking all over Taekwoon’s face until he fell over laughing, pulling both the puppy and Hakyeon down with him as he went.

+

The crisp whack of the Judge’s gavel against the sound block reverberated harshly against the interior of Taekwoon’s skull, and he fought to urge to rub his temples as he stood along with the other members of court, waiting until the Judge exited the courtroom. He gathered up his notes and slipped them back into his briefcase, Wonshik and Sanghyuk doing the same with the larger files on the desks behind him. He caught the eye of the defence’s counsel, a somewhat unpleasant little man with beady eyes and a shrewd way with words. Taekwoon gave the barest inclinations of his head, mouth set into a thin line as the attorney also nodded to him. He didn’t look back as he led the way out of the courtroom, walking as briskly as he could.

The trip out to the parking lot was a quiet one, and it wasn’t until all of their files were packed into the trunk and the three of them were buckled in, driving away from the courthouse and merging smoothly into traffic that Wonshik spoke up.

“That was a rough couple of hours,” he said, voice gravelly with wariness. Sanghyuk made a tired noise of agreement in the backseat, and Taekwoon pressed his fingers to his temples as they pulled up at a red light in the intersection. His throat felt dry and the headache had gotten worse in the span of ten minutes. Just thinking about the amount of paperwork left for him in the office was enough to make everything worsen tenfold.

“I know how complicated the case was after Jaehwan showed us all of the specs when Taekwoon caved and picked it up, but that defence attorney is just dead set on dragging this out for as long as he can, that squinty-eyed jerk.”

“Yeah, no kidding. And he kept objecting too, over the smallest technicalities... I’d applaud him on picking on those, if it wasn’t so, you know, freaking annoying.”

“But half the time those overruled in the end, honestly...”

Taekwoon lowered his head and let out a sigh, squeezing his eyes shut at the pounding headache behind his eyes. He hadn’t been on top of today’s game; frustration with the case and the presentation from the defence counsel was really putting him off. He didn’t envision a loss, seeing that the prosecution had a strong argument for the case, but it wasn’t going to be an easy route getting there. Aside from work the holidays were already drawing close, and his parents were already asking him when he could take time off to eat a Christmas dinner with them. He had thoughts about bringing Hakyeon over, but he wasn’t sure if Hakyeon was busy or wanted to just spend time alone with him, either. And then there was the issue of finding his boyfriend a proper gift...

There was a loud blaring noise registering in the back of his mind, and suddenly, Wonshik was shaking Taekwoon’s arm, jolting him back to his senses.

“Taekwoon! The light’s green!”

Taekwoon snapped back to attention, accidentally pressing too hard down on to the gas pedal. They stuttered forwards as the car behind them finally stopped tooting his horn, and Taekwoon exhaled shakily, his grip on the steering wheel tight. His face felt hot but his palms were clammy.

“Taekwoon, are you okay?” Wonshik asked, staring at him. The paralegal reached over and pressed the back of his hand onto Taekwoon’s forehead, and he withdrew almost immediately, eyes wide. “Holy crap, you’re burning up.”

“I don’t feel it,” Taekwoon frowned, touching his own forehead.

“Of course you don’t, your whole body temperature is high,” Sanghyuk said, peering around the seat. “You really don’t look good.”

“Pull over,” Wonshik said. “I’ll drive us back.”

“No, I’m good—”

“Taekwoon,” Wonshik interrupted, his tone firm but not unkind. “Pull over. You’re not feeling well.”

Biting his lip, it took more effort than he’d wanted to admit for Taekwoon to bring the car to a stop at the side of the road. He climbed shakily out of the driver’s seat, swapping places with Wonshik, and stayed slumped against the leather as Wonshik drove them back to the chamber. He held it together as they walked through the garage, and down the hall to the elevators, but it was when the lift lurched that his sense of equilibrium finally threw him off. He leaned heavily against the side of the elevator, head swimming as nausea filled him.

Distantly, he felt Sanghyuk put a hand on his back and call out to him. “Taekwoon? Taekwoon? Shit, Wonshik, he’s gone pale.”

Wonshik’s hand curled around his bicep as he helped Taekwoon stand. “Hang on, Taekwoon, we’re almost on our floor. If you’re gonna throw up, can you hold it?”

Taekwoon grumbled and nodded once, trying not to move too much. Damn, he really hated getting sick.

The ding of the elevator arriving at its destination and the sight of the doors sliding open had never been a more welcome one. Flanked by Sanghyuk and Wonshik on either side of him, Taekwoon stumbled back into the chamber, gaining his footing as urgency washed over him. He didn’t even stop to acknowledge a very confused Jaehwan as he shoved the bathroom door open roughly and collapsed into the stall, feeling sick and horrible and not very good overall.

As his stomach was busy emptying out its own contents, he heard the door open and Hongbin call, “Taekwoon? Are you— Oh my god, what happened?”

The door swung shut again, but not before he heard Wonshik telling Jaehwan to find the medicine in the kitchen and for Hongbin to message Hakyeon. Poor Wonshik, always getting stuck with the housekeeping jobs, Taekwon thought blearily to himself as he pulled the handle, knees aching against the ground and his shoulder resting uncomfortably against the toilet paper dispenser. Once the ground stopped tilting he’d tell Wonshik so.

Yes, definitely.

+

**_(Boss’ Boyfriend, Hongbinnie ▼2 people)_ **

**_(2:25pm) ParkHyoshinFan0929_ ** _:Hakyeon please tell me you’re not busy right now_

 **_(2:26pm) cha-cha-nnn_ ** _: I’m just working from the office, why? what’s up?_

 **_(2:26pm) ParkHyoshinFan0929_ ** _: ok so taekwoon just got back from court and he’s really sick, he’s thrown up twice and he’s got a fever_

 **_(2:26pm) ParkHyoshinFan0929_ ** _: do you think you can take him home? he really shouldn’t work anymore today_

 **_(2:26pm) cha-cha-nnn_ ** _: on my way_

 **_(2:27pm) ParkHyoshinFan0929_ ** _: but if you’re not free then wonshik or I could dri_

 **_(2:27pm) ParkHyoshinFan0929_ ** _: oh wait ok then_

 **_(2:28pm) ParkHyoshinFan0929_ ** _: we’ll wait for you_

_+_

He couldn’t remember how he got home exactly, because the moment his head touched the pillow on his bed Taekwoon was fairly certain he’d passed out. When he opened his eyes again, his throat was horrifically scratchy and his head hurt, but there was a distinct lack of congestion in his nose. Not a cold then, Taekwoon thought as he pushed himself up on the bed. Possibly just his exhaustion sneaking up on him. He fell back into his pillow with a sigh, relief washing over him. If it was just fatigue, he could rest for a good eight or nine hours and power his way through the proceedings in court the day after tomorrow. That was much more manageable than sniffling all day.

He stayed burrowed in his blankets for a moment, relishing the feeling of comfort surrounding him until he became aware of the rattling noise of the heater and the sounds of someone walking around in his kitchen. Sliding slowly out from under the sheets, Taekwoon shivered as he pulled his old college sweater over his shirt. Someone had changed him out of his suit, which was hanging on the hook on the side of his wardrobe. Sticking his feet into his slippers, Taekwoon shuffled across his dark room and pushed the door open.

Even though it was barely six o’clock, the winter season meant that the sun had already set and the sky was dark behind the gaps of his curtains. But the lights of his dining area and kitchen were on, and Hakyeon was standing in front of the stove, cooking something in the pot as he flipped through the pages of a rather thick itinerary. His jacket was draped over the back of one of the chairs at the dining table, the sleeves of his blue dress shirt were rolled up to his elbows, and the thin silver tie was loosened around his neck. The end was tucked into the breast pocket of Hakyeon’s shirt and kept out of the way as he stirred the pot, mouthing along to some of his notes as he skimmed over them. Taekwoon stood by the doorway of his room, unable to tear his eyes away from the homely image of Hakyeon wearing his slippers and cooking in his kitchen before him. When Hakyeon turned his head slightly to the side, he also noticed that Hakyeon had borrowed his reading glasses as well, donning the frames fashionably well. He could stand there all night, Taekwoon thought with a little smile. He wouldn’t mind watching Hakyeon in his element, because while his performance in the courtroom was a riveting and confident one, the quiet, patient side Hakyeon showed at home was also worth admiring.

A  _meow_  around his ankles brought him back to his senses; Taekwoon crouched down to pet Leo, who’d wound himself around his ankles and was demanding attention. He scratched his cat under the chin and rubbed the top of his head, combing his fingers through the long fur and listening to Leo purr in deep satisfaction.

“And what do you think you’re doing?”

Taekwoon looked up, a wan smile on his lips. “Just came out to see who’s snuck into my apartment, is all.”

Hakyeon tutted as he lowered the flame on the stove, leaving the contents in the pot to simmer slowly. He set the itinerary down on the countertop and bent down, tugging Taekwoon back to his feet.

“The man who got sick at work and passed out the minute he got home should be staying in bed, not wandering around petting cats,” Hakyeon said sternly, crowding Taekwoon back into his bedroom. Taekwoon chuckled, trying to laugh before it turned into a cough. That was apparently enough reason for Hakyeon to push him back down onto the mattress, yanking the blankets up to his chin. Taekwoon managed to wiggle an arm free and pluck the glasses off Hakyeon’s face.

“These aren’t even to your prescription, you’ll ruin your eyes.”

“Says the sick man,” Hakyeon sniffed, taking the glasses from Taekwoon and putting them onto the nightstand, turning the lamp onto its lowest setting as he did. The room was filled with an ambient glow as Taekwoon raised an eyebrow.

“Getting sick isn’t the same as needing glasses.”

“Whatever you say,” Hakyeon said, trying to fluff Taekwoon’s pillow now. He caught hold of Hakyeon’s wrist, tugging the other towards him. Hakyeon sighed and sat down at the edge of Taekwoon’s bed, letting Taekwoon twine their fingers together.

“I’m sorry,” he said honestly. “For worrying you.”

The tension seemed to seep out of Hakyeon’s shoulders as he looked down at Taekwoon. “Apology accepted, even though it’s not your fault,” he said gently, brushing his knuckles against Taekwoon’s cheek. “Your fever’s gone down though, and you don’t sound like you’ve got snot in your nose.”

“Eloquent,” Taekwoon rolled his eyes. “This is just fatigue. I’ll be back on my feet once I get a few hours’ rest.”

Hakyeon’s eyes narrowed, and he gave Taekwoon’s cheeks a soft, barely-there pinch. “If you think you’re leaving this bed at any point in time for the next twelve hours you are sorely mistaken.”

“Can’t I even get up for the bathroom?”

“Ha, ha. What a joker,” Hakyeon deadpanned. “I’m sure you’re old enough to figure that one out, Taekwoonie.”

Taekwoon huffed out a laugh, eyes crinkling at the corners. “Somehow it feels like you and I have swapped personalities.”

“I think Wonshik might actually cry if that happened.”

“Oh, he would cry for sure.”

“He was close to tears when I showed up at your chamber just from you throwing up,” Hakyeon said, shaking his head. “He looks tough but he’s just a faint-hearted guy, isn’t he?”

“The resident sister-loving softie of our chamber,” Taekwoon nodded solemnly. “He’s a force to be reckoned with in court.”

That managed to get a laugh out of Hakyeon, at least.

“Ah, geez, look at you, collapsing during a case and then cracking jokes. It’s a Christmas miracle.”

“Funny,” Taekwoon said, squeezing Hakyeon’s hand as Leo leapt up onto the bed, unusually greedy for attention tonight. Taekwoon pulled his cat between the two of them before asking, “Speaking of Christmas, do you have any plans this holiday?”

“Well, I’ve got dinner with my family and I’m going to the temple with my grandparents next week,” Hakyeon hummed, stroking Leo’s fur. “We’re also having a gathering at Peniel’s place with the whole chamber because he’s not going back to his family in the States for Christmas, but other than that, I haven’t got much on my list. How about you?”

“Family dinner and nothing else,” Taekwoon said. “Would you like to stay over during the break?”

Hakyeon smiled beautifully at that, and he leaned in to give Taekwoon a light peck on the lips. “I’d love that,” he said happily, and the warmth of his words was enough to make Taekwoon’s heart swell. “Alright, you stay here. I’m gonna finish making dinner and I’ll bring it back in for us to eat here, okay?”

“Sounds good,” Taekwoon murmured, letting Hakyeon’s hand go as his boyfriend stood up and left for the kitchen. The sounds of cooking persisted for several more minutes before Hakyeon returned with a tray and two steaming bowls of broth and noodles in it. Leo slunk out of the way as Taekwoon wiggled into an upright position, moving out of the way so Hakyeon could settle comfortably on the bed as well. He picked up his bowl of food, murmured a soft thanks, and let Hakyeon feed him a few pieces of vegetables before starting on his own meal.

“By the way, what do you want for Christmas?”

The question slipped from him before he could fully stop himself, but if Hakyeon was surprised by the sudden change in topic, he didn’t mention it.

“Honestly, nothing much,” he laughed. “I just want to spend time with you, Taekwoonie.”

“Hakyeon, let me do something for you, at least,” Taekwoon chided, but Hakyeon shook his head.

“I’m serious,” his boyfriend said, chuckling. “I’m happy with what I have with you, Taekwoon. I want you to be healthy. I want to cuddle with you in front of the television and binge watch that romance drama I’ve been hearing about. Nothing special or out of the ordinary. We’ve both been busy so honestly, I just want to be able to spend time by your side.”

Taekwoon scrunched his nose up as he looked down at his noodles. “Cheesy,” he accused, making Hakyeon snort into his bowl.

“That’s me,” he beamed, and Taekwoon couldn’t really argue with that either. But Hakyeon’s answer was still decidedly unhelpful, and as he finished his dinner and let Hakyeon whisk the tray away, he found himself stuck in the same predicament he’d been in for the past few days.

+

He woke up when the sky was still dark to the feeling of Leo sitting on his head and Hakyeon’s arms and legs curled around him, like a giant koala bear. He stuck his hand out of the blanket cocoon and fumbled blindly for his phone. The notifications light was blinking, unsurprisingly, and when he went to check his messages there were a fair few from his co-workers waiting for him.

**_(Jung Chamber Squad/The LAWFUL Teen Titans ▼5 people)_ **

**_(11:12pm) konohaninja95_ ** _: Taekwoon! hope ur getting some rest while we sweat away in the confines of the office! once ur better let’s go eat meat lolol_

 **_(11:30pm) ParkHyoshinFan0929_ ** _: jaehwan keeps asking me if you’ll be away for as long as I was during my surgery and I’m really starting to see why he didn’t apply to med school when he couldn’t tell the difference between a fracture and fatigue. anyway, let’s eat meat once you’re better._

 **_(11:42pm) cute_nose_fairy *_ ** **_･ﾟ_ ** **_✧_ ** _: taekwoon!!! hongbin is so mean when ur not around_

 **_(11:42pm) cute_nose_fairy *_ ** **_･ﾟ_ ** **_✧_ ** _: well, meaner than usual, pls come back soon, he’s gonna start a coup d’etat soon and im gonna get banished to the filing cabinet room and he wont let me come along when u guys are gonna get meat it’s unfair!!_

 **_(11:43pm) ParkHyoshinFan0929_ ** _: jaehwan i can’t believe you can spell coup d’etat without googling it first but u can’t even remember the latin law terms you spent eight years studying_

 **_(11:43pm) cute_nose_fairy *_ ** **_･ﾟ_ ** **_✧_ ** _: SEE, I TOLD YOU, MEAN._

 **_(11:58pm) RRRRAVEH_ ** _: guys stop fighting pls taekwoon’s ill we can’t stress him out_

 **_(12:00pm) RRRRAVEH_ ** _: also taekwoon i told my sister u got sick and she offered to cook for u im heartbroken tbh don’t take my sister away from me i kno u have hakyeon but still_

 **_(12:03pm) konohaninja95_ ** _: don’t listen to wonshik taekwoon he’s just mad she said that he could eat cup noodles in the office when he asked her to bring him dinner too lmao_

He laughed to himself, dropping his phone back onto the nightstand as he rolled over into Hakyeon’s embrace, feeling Leo squirm uncomfortably out from between the two of them. Hakyeon grunted when Leo’s paw kicked him in the nose, and Taekwoon gave his boyfriend a sleepy kiss before closing his eyes again.

He felt better already.

+

“We’re so close,” Wonshik wheezed, running his hands through his hair as he squinted down at the files lying spread-eagled on their conference table. Taekwoon was starting to suspect that cabin fever had set in by now, with the entire chamber crammed into a single room for hours on end, pouring over the last points they had to make for the trespassing case. Taekwoon’s haunch about the case tipping in their favour hadn’t been wrong, but it had taken a few days to reach this point. Now, all that was left was for them to hammer things home with their last witness and a closing statement.

Hongbin and Sanghyuk had gone out to buy them a late-night dinner a while ago, leaving Taekwoon to scribble away at his statements while Wonshik set about giving himself a new hairstyle. He accidentally elbowed Jaehwan awake from where he’d managed to fall asleep with his face plastered to a plastic file. Taekwoon rubbed his eyes and loosened his tie, willing himself to not faceplant onto the desk too while his colleagues began to sleepily jab back at one another.

He heard the door to the chamber open, followed by the sounds of footsteps and voices talking, and when he looked up he expected to see Sanghyuk and Hongbin with paper bags piled with burgers and fries from the fast food restaurant downstairs, but then...

“Hakyeon,” Taekwoon said in surprise, staring as his boyfriend crowded into the conference room as well with Sanghyuk and Hongbin shuffling around behind him. Plastic bags dangled from their hands, and Taekwoon stood to offer his assistance, but Hakyeon immediately waved him aside.

“You stay seated,” Hakyeon said sternly, though he was smiling fondly at all of them. “Let me hand these goodies out.”

The ‘goodies’ turned out to be takeout from a popular Japanese restaurant a few blocks away from the office. When they managed to clear off the papers and folders on the table top, Hakyeon popped open all the takeout boxes to reveal a wide variety of rolls, freshly sliced sashimi, tempura, and rice. Taekwoon’s eyes widened at the whole ensemble, and next to him, Wonshik’s stomach betrayed his hunger with a hearty growl.

“How...?” he stammered in awe, turning to look up at Hakyeon.

“My treat for you poor struggling lawyers,” Hakyeon grinned, sticking his nose into the air “You’re welcome, children.”

“Hakyeon, I could kiss you,” Jaehwan said in complete honesty, snapping the wooden chopsticks apart before he dramatically speared a piece of white tuna and ate it all in one bite.

“Chew or you’ll choke,” Hongbin warned.

“Kiss Hakyeon and  _I’ll_  choke you,” Taekwoon added without thinking, and then promptly turned red and had to bury his face in his arms while the others  _oooooh!_ ’d him and Hakyeon gave an honest to god squeal, clapping his hands onto his cheek.

“That’s so sweet of you,” Hakyeon cried, swooping down to press kisses all over Taekwoon’s face when he surfaced, and Sanghyuk screamed, pretending to cover his eyes while he shovelled rice into his mouth.

“Taekwoon threatening other people for your sake is sweet?” Wonshik stage-whispered.

“Threats towards other people is as good as an ‘I love you’ from Taekwoon,” Hongbin deadpanned, and a round of murmured agreement sounded from the table. Taekwoon huffed, trying not to pout as Hakyeon plopped down into the chair next to him and began feeding him pieces of sushi.

“You didn’t have to get this for us,” he mumbled, the heat still on his face as he watched Hakyeon mix the wasabi and soy sauce together.

“Nonsense,” Hakyeon smiled. “I ran into Hongbin and Sanghyuk on their way to purchase greasy fast food when I walked into the lobby of your building; there’s no way I’m letting you lot ingest that kind of stuff at this hour.”

“Hey, don’t diss the burgers,” Wonshik laughed. “Not that I’m complaining about getting sushi instead.”

“Please never break up with your rich successful lawyer boyfriend, Taekwoon,” Sanghyuk added. “The benefits are excellent.”

“And what am I, the paper boy?” Taekwoon retorted.

“I am the one with a bigger chamber. Besides, you’d look cute wearing a paper boy cap,” Hakyeon teased, poking him in the cheek. Taekwoon gave him a look.

“Don’t agree with them.”

“Aw, they’re so adorable,” Jaehwan cooed, making little hearts at the two of them. “When’s the wedding gonna be?”

“None of your business,” Taekwoon grumbled. “Don’t think I don’t know about that betting pool that’s circulating between this chamber and Hakyeon’s, you scheming brats.”

“Tch,” Jaehwan sniffed, and the conversation effectively derailed when Wonshik tried to swipe a piece of Hongbin’s salmon and earned a fierce whack to the hand for his efforts.

Hakyeon stayed with them until Taekwoon sent the others home just half an hour shy of midnight, insisting that they all got some rest before showing up refreshed for their last day in court tomorrow. His colleagues didn’t even try to put up a fight; everybody was tired, and they were on the brink of the holidays. Nobody wanted to stay at work any longer than they had to.

It wasn’t until Hongbin had shut off most of the lights lights in the common area and bid them both a goodnight did Taekwoon dare to walk up to Hakyeon, sliding his arms around Hakyeon’s waist as he pulled him close for a kiss.

“Thank you for taking care of us,” he said quietly, and he felt Hakyeon reach up to wrap his arms around the back of his neck.

“I don’t want you guys to overwork yourselves,” Hakyeon whispered, endearment and concern evident in his tone. “I didn’t want you to get sick at work again either, not when you’re so close to ending your case.”

Taekwoon’s heart fluttered wildly in his chest as he nuzzled his face against Hakyeon’s. Hakyeon sighed, eyes falling shut as Taekwoon hugged him closer and gave him soft kisses all over his face. He let out a little laugh when Taekwoon brushed his lips against the ticklish spot on the side of his neck, fingers coming through the strands of hair at the back of Taekwoon’s head.

“You’re gonna need a haircut soon,” Hakyeon mused, his body a wonderful warmth against Taekwoon’s, and his voice a soothing rumble because of their close proximity. He closed his eyes and pulled Hakyeon even closer, marvelling in the flex of Hakyeon’s back and the way he could press his palm into the dip in Hakyeon’s spine.

“Tell me something that I can do for you,” Taekwoon murmured, and he felt Hakyeon shift in surprise.

“What do you mean?”

“You’re always looking out for me,” Taekwoon said softly. “Always caring for me, always making sure I’m doing well, always thinking of me and the people around me. I’ve wracked my brains trying to find some way to show how much I care for you too, but I want it to be something you’d like, no if ands or buts.”

“You silly goose,” Hakyeon chuckled. “How many times do I have to say it? I’m content being by your side.”

“Hakyeon,” Taekwoon wouldn’t say he was  _whining_ , but at this point, he was close to it. “Please, help me out here.”

“Big bad Lawyer Jung is asking for my help?” Hakyeon teased, pulling back to cup Taekwoon’s face with his hands. His eyes were glittering despite the lack of lighting. “There’s nothing else but you, Taekwoon. That’s all there is to it. We don’t need anything else.”

Taekwoon pretended to think the words over for a beat before he stuck his tongue out at Hakyeon, startling his boyfriend into laughter.

“How old are you!” Hakyeon cried, smacking him in the shoulder.

“Old enough to be a rich successful lawyer boyfriend too,” Taekwoon muttered, and Hakyeon nearly doubled over laughing.

“Still sore over that?”

“I’m docking Sanghyuk’s pay for causing personal injuries.”

“To what?”

“My pride,” Taekwoon grumbled, crossing his arms, and Hakyeon immediately reached forwards to untangle his limbs. His boyfriend’s warm hands close around his instead, and it was impossible to even fake being mad after that.

“Tell you what,” Hakyeon smirked. “There is something I really need.”

“Yeah?” Taekwoon perked up, squeezing Hakyeon’s hand. “Is there?”

“There is,” Hakyeon nodded solemnly. “Two days ago, the espresso maker in my apartment quit on me, so I, uh, tinkered with it a little.”

Taekwoon arched an eyebrow. “Hakyeon, you know what happens to electronics you ‘tinker’ with.”

“Shut up,” Hakyeon complained, punching him lightly in the side. “I thought it was just acting up again, you know? But then something must’ve happened, because now it won’t dispense anything.”

“Something ‘must’ve happened’ to your microwave and your electric kettle and the portable radio too,” Taekwoon snorted, and figured he deserved the harder punch that came at him this time. Hakyeon shoved him playfully away, and Taekwoon took the opportunity to snag his briefcase and coat before ushering Hakyeon towards the exit. “Why didn’t you call me? Or somebody else from your chamber? Heck, even Jaehwan knew to send Wonshik an SOS text when he messed the toaster oven up.”

“You were busy!” Hakyeon complained. “Besides, I wanted to try fixing the dumb thing myself!”

Taekwoon shook his head, hiding his laugh behind the scarf bundled around his neck as he bent down to lock the chamber’s doors behind him. “You don’t even use the espresso machine to make coffee; you only drink their hot chocolate mix.”

“And it’s a damn good mix,” Hakyeon growled defensively. “So here’s my Christmas wish for you: buy me a new machine and stop making fun of my inability to fix electronics, and we’ll settle on that, okay?”

Taekwoon scrunched up his nose as he jabbed the button for the lift. “That’s it? You want me to sum up all the feelings I just poured out for you with an espresso machine?”

“Well, you do love coffee so very much,” Hakyeon grinned, snuggling up next to him. “I trust you to pick out the very best espresso slash hot chocolate machine to make my mornings a bright and wonderful one this winter.”

“I won’t settle for this,” Taekwoon warned as the doors to the elevator slid open. Somebody in building management was clearly feeling festive this year, because the interior was now decorated with pretty wreaths and garlands and bunches of holly stuck all over the place.

“Mhm,” Hakyeon hummed, eyes roaming over the decorations as he jostled Taekwoon against the wall. “Hey, Taekwoon, look up.”

He blinked but tilted his head back all the same, gazing curiously up and wondering what Hakyeon might have directed his attention to until he finally caught sight of a familiar bundle of greens tied up by a smooth satin ribbon.

Mistletoe.

Taekwoon swallowed, heart suddenly beating at an irrational pace again. He looked back down, a question on the tip of his tongue, but the thought evaporated into thin air as Hakyeon surged up on his tip-toes at the same time. Their lips met halfway, and Taekwoon sighed into the kiss. He lifted a hand to touch Hakyeon’s chin as Hakyeon leaned forwards and slipped his hands into Taekwoon’s coat pockets, a comfortable weight against him.

The doors slid close as the elevator began to descend, and they didn’t part until the doors opened again on lobby level.

+

He went out and brought the espresso maker that weekend after wrapping up the trespassing case literally the day before. It had been a beautiful ruling in their favour, and as Sungjae would say, justice was dished out with a side serving of cold, cold honesty (whatever that meant). But Taekwoon wasn’t above admitting that it was a huge burden off his shoulders, and he didn’t even stop Sanghyuk and Wonshik from power sliding down the hallway to their chambers, where Jaehwan and Hongbin had been anxiously awaiting the verdict.

Taekwoon probably would’ve joined his juniors if he hadn’t been in such a rush to head down to the mall. Going shopping with the last weekend rush before the Christmas holiday was probably one of the dumbest ideas he’d had so far, but there had been no other opportunity to go buy Hakyeon’s gift, not when he had work to attend. There was the little bit of disgruntlement that he couldn’t do any better than an upscale coffee maker for Hakyeon, but the thing was already sitting in the trunk of his car, gift wrapped by the poor overworked sales associate in the most generic wrapping paper ever. So the deed was done, and now all that was left was for Taekwoon to go and unwind with a good cup of brew for himself— and puppies.

N-Mi knew him on sight now, given all the times he’d visited Best Friend Café with Hakyeon and by himself. The Pomeranian launched herself at him the second he sat down in the pen, yipping happily and wiggling all over as he scooped her up and leaned against the wall, cuddling with the puppy.

“Are you sure you don’t have some kind of secret healing power?” Taekwoon asked absent-mindedly, scratching behind N-Mi’s ears. “I feel like I’ve de-aged twenty years just now.”

N-Mi’s tail whipped back and forth in response, and Taekwoon smiled, lost in his own world of relaxation until he noticed the attendant standing nearby, watching him closely. When their eyes met, she walked over tentatively, a smile on her face.

“Um, hi, I’ve seen you come by a lot to this café and shelter, if I’m not mistaken?”

Taekwoon nodded. “Yes,” he answered, wondering what she was getting at.

“I’ve noticed you and the other man you come by with seem to get along with N-Mi really well,” she carried on. “Have you ever considered adopting a dog? Such as N-Mi?”

Taekwoon blinked in surprise. “I thought she was already up for adoption?”

“She was,” the attendant said, clasping her hands together. “But the couple who originally wanted her— they were moving into a new condo and the building didn’t allow pets, so they couldn’t follow through with the adoption process. So she’s waiting for a new family to take her home this holiday.”

Taekwoon could tell by the attendant’s words that she was really hoping for him to fill in that spot, but he didn’t need her to sugarcoat things for the gears to already start turning in his head. Hakyeon had wanted to adopt N-Mi. Between the two of them, they could handle a caring for a pet, and if they ever got too busy, he knew that Hakyeon’s family had the capacity to dog-sit as well. Hakyeon adored N-Mi; he had always shown a similar amount of love for pets, even ones as introversive in nature as Leo, and Taekwoon knew he’d love to take care of the puppy.

N-Mi licked Taekwoon’s fingers and gazed up at him with her expressive eyes, head cocked. He smiled at her before looking back up at the attendant, the gears in his head turning already.

“Could you... tell me more about the adoption process?”

+

**_(The Three Musketeers + Wonshik ▼4 people)_ **

**_(12:14pm) konohaninja95_ ** _: ok gents, it’s that time again_

 **_(12:14pm) konohaninja95_ ** _: get ready to place your bets on what Taekwoon and Hakyeon have gotten each other for the festive, consumerist nightmare we live through every december_

 **_(12:14pm) RRRRAVEH_ ** _: aren’t u a little bleak this holiday season_

 **_(12:14pm) konohaninja95_ ** _: i said to place your bets, not harp on my sense of social critique, wonshik_

 **_(12:15pm) RRRRAVEH_ ** _: right_

 **_(12:15pm) ParkHyoshinFan0929_ ** _: ugh. those two are just running around in circles again. last i checked taekwoon was still trying to google gfit ideas. he’s probably gonna buy hakyeon something generic like cologne or lotion_

 **_(12:15pm) konohaninja95_ ** _: i was actually going with bath bombs lmao hakyeon looks like the type to use bath bombs doesn’t he?_

 **_(12:15pm) RRRRAVEH_ ** _: im gonna say a massage chair to replace that back scratcher hakyeon keeps in his office_

 **_(12:15pm) ParkHyoshinFan0929_ ** _: hakyeon keeps a back scratcher in his office???_

 **_(12:15pm) RRRRAVEH_ ** _: yeah he uses it to whack ppl that piss him off when he’s preparing to go to court_

 **_(12:15pm) ParkHyoshinFan0929_ ** _: im not even surprised lol_

 ** _(12:15pm) cute_nose_fairy *_** ** _･ﾟ_** ** _✧_** _: im gonna bet that taekwoon gets hakyeon an espresso machine_ :))))))

 **_(12:16pm) RRRRAVEH_ ** _: really?_

 **_(12:16pm) ParkHyoshinFan0929_ ** _: wow, that’s unromantic_

 **_(12:17pm) konohaninja95_ ** _: jaehwan u can’t bet on something you already KNOW taekwoon’s gotten you cHEAT_

 **_(12:17pm) cute_nose_fairy *_ ** **_･ﾟ_ ** **_✧_ ** _: !!!!! and how the heck would u know!!!!!_

 **_(12:17pm) konohaninja95_ ** _: bc i texted sungjae and he asked peniel who asked minhyuk who then heard from hakyeon that he told taekwoon to buy him a coffee maker and that he told changsub who told u, duh_

 **_(12:18pm) cute_nose_fairy *_ ** **_･ﾟ_ ** **_✧_ ** _: WTF_

 **_(12:18pm) RRRRAVEH_ ** _: jaehwan u swore you’d uphold the law what is this kind of behaviour supposed to mean_

 **_(12:18pm) ParkHyoshinFan0929_ ** _: jaehwan stay where you are i’m coming over with hakyeon’s back scratcher of justice right now_

 **_(12:19pm) cute_nose_fairy *_ ** **_･ﾟ_ ** **_✧_ ** _: y’all r conspiring against me i kno it u want me to lose but im not gonna go down easy_

 **_(12:19pm) konohaninja95_ ** _: sure thing CHEAT_

 **_(12:19pm) cute_nose_fairy *_ ** **_･ﾟ_ ** **_✧_ ** _: ill see u fukers in hell_

 **_(12:19pm) konohaninja95_ ** _: did you mean: boxing day shopping_

 **_(12:20pm) ParkHyoshinFan0929_ ** _: “you either die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become a villain”_

 **_(12:20pm) RRRRAVEH_ ** _: wtf happened to this conversation_

_+_

They didn’t get a chance to properly meet up until Christmas Eve, when Taekwoon went to pick Hakyeon up from Peniel’s place that evening, where Hakyeon and his colleagues were having their dinner. Peniel had graciously extended the invitation to Taekwoon when Hakyeon mentioned that he was going straight over to Taekwoon’s after the dinner for the holidays, but Taekwoon declined, not wanting to intrude. It also gave him the chance to visit his own family, whom he’d missed dearly during his hectic year. His parents fussed over him, his sisters teased him about Hakyeon, and his baby nephew gurgled happily in his lap, just old enough to recognize his uncle and show off his cuteness as a baby. Taekwoon had practically stayed glued to his nephew, unwilling to part from the baby until it was time to go. But since he was finally going to spend time with his boyfriend for the next seven days they’d taken off together, Taekwoon wasn’t complaining, really.

“Oh man, Hyunsik whips up a mean plate of stir-fry,” Hakyeon said happily, cheeks tinted from the warm atmosphere and the wine he’d had at the dinner. “I wish I could’ve saved you some, but Minhyuk ate all of it before the rest of us could even go for seconds.”

Taekwoon chuckled at that as he parked his car smoothly into his designated spot in the garage. He helped Hakyeon gather his belongings from the backseats, and as they made their way towards the elevators. Hakyeon bumped playfully into him, sliding his hand into the back pocket of Taekwoon’s jeans as he pulled Taekwoon closer.

“Hi, handsome,” Hakyeon said cheekily, and Taekwoon poked his nose even as he wrapped an arm around Hakyeon’s shoulders.

“Are you drunk already?”

“I am not,” Hakyeon cried indignantly. “I’m just happy to see you!”

“Yes, yes, I know,” Taekwoon soothed, smiling. His own heart was doing quite a spectacular drumroll in his ribcage just from being close to Hakyeon; at this rate, he’s not confident he’ll make it through the next seven days they’re spending together. The elevator arrived onto his floor with a  _ding!_ , and he was certain he was going to explode from his own pent-up nervousness. He waited until they were right in front of his apartment’s door before turning around to face Hakyeon, nerveless fingers clutching at his keys.

“Taekwoon?” Hakyeon blinked, tilting his head, and Taekwoon immediately reached out to take Hakyeon’s hands into his own.

“There’s three things I’m going to tell you right now,” Taekwoon said softly, trying not to sweat in his coat and scarf. He was a grown man, not a teenager trying to ask out his first date (but Hakyeon always seemed to have that kind of effect on him anyway).

“Okay,” Hakyeon grinned, lean fingers gripping back, and it felt like he was trying to pass a big of courage over to Taekwoon as he took a breath.

“First, I got you your espresso machine. If it breaks, please don’t try to fix it yourself anymore.”

“Oh my god, shut up,” Hakyeon laughed, freeing a hand to rap him on the side of the head. “I learned my lesson, okay!”

“I’ll hold you to your word,” Taekwoon replied, smirking. “Secondly, I wanted to tell you that I really love you. You know that, right?”

The playful glint in Hakyeon’s eyes softened to a gentler light now, and he nodded. “Of course I know,” he said, and Taekwoon ducked his head, feeling both giddy and anxious now.

“Good. Which is why, thirdly, I’ve brought one of our best friends home to greet you.”

“Eh?” Hakyeon said, taken aback, and Taekwoon smiled as he slid his hands from Hakyeon’s, unlocked the door, and ushered Hakyeon inside.

And any questions Hakyeon would’ve had immediately dissolved when their entrance was immediately greeted by a series of excitable yips, barks, and the sounds of paws skidding across tiles as N-Mi rounded the corner and raced down the hall towards them.

Hakyeon’s eyes widened and he slapped his hands over his mouth, barely muffling a short scream before he was dashing forwards too, falling down to his knees as he let N-Mi launch herself into his arms. He scooped the little dog up and hugged her close, spluttering incoherently as he stared down in near disbelief.

“N-Mi! You— I thought— how did you— the adoption—?”

“The couple that was supposed to take her couldn’t do it,” Taekwoon explained, repeating the same information the attendant had told him as he kneeled down beside Hakyeon. “So I asked about the adoption process, had them come over to check my apartment, and then signed everything off. Once everything gets settled, I’m sure N-Mi wouldn’t mind you taking her back to your place.”

He wasn’t surprised to see the tears well up in Hakyeon’s eyes; his boyfriend was a serial crier that sobbed over anything from a particularly moving scene in a film to eating something really delicious. What did surprise him was the lump forming in his own throat, and the way his emotions choked him up when Hakyeon squeezed N-Mi closer and whispered in a choked-up voice, “She’s here to stay?”

Taekwoon nodded, clearing his throat a little roughly. “Yes,” he replied, even as Hakyeon gently lowered the puppy and reached out to gather Taekwoon up in his arms. “She’s here, and so— so am I. The two of us. We’re gonna be here with you, forever.”

“You sap,” Hakyeon sobbed, his face buried into Taekwoon’s neck as he cried. “I can’t believe you, I never expected this.”

“Are you happy?” Taekwoon asked softly, cradling the back of Hakyeon’s head, and he felt his boyfriend nod vigorously.

“I am over the fucking  _moon_ ,” Hakyeon chuckled wetly beside him. “You’ve turned me into a blubbering mess already, and it’s only Christmas Eve.”

“I fully plan to spoil you for the next week we’re spending together,” Taekwoon laughed, and he felt Hakyeon tighten his arms around him.

“Thank you,” Hakyeon whispered, and the words seemed to melt straight into his heart as Hakyeon said it. “Thank you for thinking of me, Taekwoon. I love you so much.”

Taekwoon closed his eyes, a smile curling the corners of his lips as he whispered his own reply to Hakyeon.

“I know. I love you too.”

+

He woke up to quite a lot of weight on him that Christmas morning, and he groaned weakly, trying to wonder what was sitting on his stomach and why. He heard a giggle somewhere above him, heard Hakyeon whisper, “Oh look, Sleeping Beauty’s awake,” and that finally made him crack an eye open.

Hakyeon was lying on top of him, the thick blankets pulled over them both, and the smile on his boyfriend’s face was dazzling as he brushed Taekwoon’s hair out of his eyes.

“Good morning,” he smiled, and Taekwoon made a valiant attempt at responding in kind, but probably only managed to pull of one-fourth of the syllables needed to form actual words. Hakyeon laughed, and lump under the sheets next to him wiggled until N-Mi surfaced. Taekwoon turned his head and reached out to pet the puppy until a loud purring noise caught his attention, and he reached out to Leo as well. Watching N-Mi interact with Leo for the past few days had amused him to no end, especially when Leo perched himself on one of the stools and stared down at an excitable N-Mi bouncing all over the apartment like he couldn’t understand how any living thing could be so excited.

“I’m gonna need a bigger bed if all three of you insist on burrowing yourselves around me,” Taekwoon mumbled, reaching absent-mindedly for Hakyeon, and Hakyeon crawled obligingly upwards to give him a kiss.

“Wanna see your gift?” Hakyeon asked, his lips brushing against Taekwoon’s as he spoke, and Taekwon blinked.

“You got me something?”

“Of course,” Hakyeon pouted. “Why wouldn’t I? But it isn’t wrapped, and it’s a lot bigger than what I’m handing to you right now.”

Taekwoon slowly pushed himself into a more comfortable sitting position against the headboard as Hakyeon scooted forwards, sitting on top of Taekwoon’s thighs as he plucked a rectangular piece of paper off the nightstand and pressed it into his hands.

He glanced down at the vertical line that divided the paper into halves and then the four horizontal ones on the right hand side, along with a little box in the upper corner that said  _place stamp here_. Hakyeon had gotten him a postcard, but when Taekwoon turned it over, the side that would’ve usually had a picture of some beach or mountain scenery was blank except for Hakyeon’s handwriting.

_‘Come fly with me, let's fly, let's fly away~’_

“What’s this?” Taekwoon asked, tracing over Hakyeon’s writing.

“I was thinking we should do a vacation,” Hakyeon said, playing with the hem of Taekwoon’s shirt as Taekwoon looked up at him. “Anywhere you want to go, anytime. Someplace where you’re not gonna stress over work. Some place where we can just spend time together.”

Taekwoon’s heart leapt in his chest as he set the postcard aside and gently grasped Hakyeon’s fiddling hands with his own. Hakyeon was surprisingly nervous, if the lip-biting and the bit of tension on his shoulders was anything to go by.

“That sounds great,” Taekwoon said, smiling, and a grin broke out across Hakyeon’s face as well.

“Yeah?” his boyfriend said, and Taekwoon nodded, pulling Hakyeon closer. He pressed his palms to Hakyeon’s cheeks and marvelled at the sight of the wonderful man before him, the unconditional love that spilled from his heart, and just how beautiful Hakyeon looked when he smiled for Taekwoon alone.

“Yeah,” Taekwoon whispered as their lips met again. “I can’t wait, Hakyeon.”

The soft laugh against his mouth as Hakyeon drew him even closer only managed to make him fall even harder, really.

“I can’t wait either.” 

+

**_(The Three Musketeers + Wonshik ▼4 people)_ **

**_(11:00am) konohaninja95_ ** _: oh my GOD did you guys see what Taekwoon got Hakyeon_

 **_(11:01am) ParkHyoshinFan0929_ ** _: it’s not even noon on christmas day han sanghyuk what do u think_

 **_(11:00am) konohaninja95_ ** _: whats ur point lol_

 **_(11:01am) cute_nose_fairy *_ ** **_･ﾟ_ ** **_✧_ ** _: AND HOW WOULD YOU POSSIBLY KNOW THAT KIND OF INFORMATION SANGHYUK_

 **_(11:01am) konohaninja95_ ** _: i checked hakyeon’s instagram and it’s flooded with pictures of tHE DOG TAEKWOON GOT HIM_

 **_(11:01am) RRRRAVEH_ ** _: whoa, really? that’s actually a pretty cute gift_

 **_(11:01am) cute_nose_fairy *_ ** **_･ﾟ_ ** **_✧_ ** _: WHAT they could’ve just adopted me instead im as adorable as a puppy_

 **_(11:01am) ParkHyoshinFan0929_ ** _: jaehwan we’ve all seen u the mornings after u camp out at the chamber for cases there is nothing adorable about that image we know and fear_

 **_(11:02am) cute_nose_fairy *_ ** **_･ﾟ_ ** **_✧_ ** _: THAT IS SLANDER_

 **_(11:02am) konohaninja95_ ** _: guys pls don’t u realize what this means_

 **_(11:02am) ParkHyoshinFan0929_ ** _: jaehwan should renounce his self-proclaimed title of “cutie king”?_

 **_(11:02am) konohaninja95_ ** _: no hongbin we all know you’ve been out to claim that spot since day one but stay on topic here_

 **_(11:02am) ParkHyoshinFan0929_ ** _: sanghyuk how dare u make such claims_

 **_(11:03am) RRRRAVEH_ ** _: guys pls don’t fight on christmas_

 **_(11:03am) cute_nose_fairy *_ ** **_･ﾟ_ ** **_✧_ ** _: THE TITLE OF CUTIE KING IS MINE AND MINE ALONE AND I’LL FIGHT ANYONE TO THE BITTER END IF THEY TOUCH IT_

 **_(11:04am) RRRRAVEH_ ** _: i give up_

 **_(11:04am) konohaninja95_ ** _: may i speak_

 **_(11:04am) RRRRAVEH_ ** _: yes please do sanghyuk_

 **_(11:05am) konohaninja95_ ** _: thank u wonshik anyway don’t you guys know that one of the first big steps for long-term couples is to adopt a pet together?_

 **_(11:05am) ParkHyoshinFan0929_ ** _: yeah but they already had Leo_

 **_(11:05am) cute_nose_fairy *_ ** **_･ﾟ_ ** **_✧_ ** _: technically taekwoon had Leo way before he and and hakyeon started dating_

 **_(11:05am) konohaninja95_ ** _: adopting a pet is basically a prequel to committing to the relationship for good so u know what’s gonna happen next_

 **_(11:06am) RRRRAVEH_ ** _: they get more pets???_

 **_(11:06am) konohaninja95_ ** _: WRONG_

 **_(11:06am) cute_nose_fairy *_ ** **_･ﾟ_ ** **_✧_ ** _: tHEY GET MARRIED!!!!_

 **_(11:06am) ParkHyoshinFan0929_ ** _: wait what_

 **_(11:07am) konohaninja95_ ** _: RIGHT_

 **_(11:07am) ParkHyoshinFan0929_ ** _: wait wHAT_

 **_(11:07am) RRRRAVEH_ ** _: what kind of a conclusion is that_

 **_(11:07am) konohaninja95_ ** _: and who was it that won the bet last time, wonshik?_

 **_(11:07am) RRRRAVEH_ ** _: point taken_

 **_(11:08am) konohaninja95_ ** _: exactly. and this change in events between our boss and the other chamber’s boss calls for a drastic change in events_

 **_(11:08am) RRRRAVEH_ ** _: what do u mean by drastic_

**_konohaninja95 has added donaldkwang, leeminhyukkie, $cha-ching-Changsub$ and four others into the conversation_ **

**_(11:08am) RRRRAVEH_ ** _: oh boy_

 **_(11:08am) donaldkwang_ ** _: hello hello what is this sudden convergence all about on a glorious christmas morning_

 **_(11:08am) konohaninja95_ ** _: we’re here to discuss a very important topic regarding our bosses_

 **_(11:09am) $cha-ching-Changsub$_ ** _: are they giving us a pay raise???_

 **_(11:09am) ParkHyoshinFan0929_ ** _: I wish_

 **_(11:09am) leeminhyukkie_ ** _: same tbh_

 **_(11:09am) $cha-ching-Changsub$_ ** _: damn_

 **_(11:09am) donaldkwang_ ** _: hey i’m technically one of ur bosses too it’s called Cha & SEO lawyers in case u forgot?_

 **_(11:09am) ShinPeniel_ ** _: are you giving us a raise then eunwkang?_

 **_(11:09am) donaldkwang_ ** _: no_

 **_(11:10am) $cha-ching-Changsub$_ ** _: UGH_

 **_(11:10am) I.Am.Hyunsik_ ** _: so what did u want to talk about sanghyuk?_

 **_(11:10am) cute_nose_fairy *_ ** **_･ﾟ_ ** **_✧_ ** _: OUR BOSSES ARE GETTING MARRIED!!!!!_

 **_(11:10am) ShinPeniel_ ** _: what really?_

 **_(11:11am) RRRRAVEH_ ** _: no don’t listen to jaehwan we ~believe~ they’re going to eventually but it’s in the process of happening_

 **_(11:11am) $cha-ching-Changsub$_ ** _: so we’re gonna bet on it right_

 **_(11:12am) ParkHyoshinFan0929_ ** _: apparently_

 **_(11:12am) leeminhyukkie_ ** _: lmao i can practically hear hongbin’s sigh_

 **_(11:12am) jungIlhoon_ ** _: if i weren’t so hungover i would be laughing rn_

 **_(11:12am) YOoook-sungjae_ ** _: hey guys if hakyeon and taekwoon actually does get married will we all become in-laws?_

 **_(11:12am) $cha-ching-Changsub$_ ** _: no bc that would imply that we’re related and i do not wish to be related to you in the slightest_

 **_(11:13am) YOoook-sungjae_ ** _: HOW RUDE_

 **_(11:13am) donaldkwang_ ** _: stop fighting on this beautiful christmas morning kids_

 **_(11:13am) ShinPeniel:_ ** _I’m looking at the mess you guys left in my apartment and I’m letting you know it’s not beautiful at all_

 **_(11:13am) RRRRAVEH_ ** _: you should get Hongbin as your in-law then he stress cleans like crazy_

 **_(11:14am) $cha-ching-Changsub$_ ** _: no! no in-laws! i shan’t be related to sungjae!_

 **_(11:14am) YOoook-sungjae_ ** _: fIGHT ME_

 **_(11:14am) cute_nose_fairy *_ ** **_･ﾟ_ ** **_✧_ ** _: it’ll only be a matter of time, guys._

 **_(11:14am) I.Am.Hyunsik_ ** _: and money_

 **_(11:15am) jungIlhoon_ ** _: we should make our bets early, for the sake of convenience, y’know?_

 **_(11:15am) konohaninja95_ ** _: couldn’t have said it better myself_

**_konohaninja95 has renamed this conversation to “the unofficial wedding betting pool”_ **

**Author's Note:**

> other things:
> 
> -in the beginning park hyoshin just kinda existed as someone hongbin was a fan of in this universe but then i figured if it's someone he admired, he might be in a position of respectability and that's the story of how hyoshin became a judge in this verse, lol. will they ever meet? who knows~
> 
> -wonshik did convince someone to be his fake date for his family christmas dinner but who was it??? (i didn't get that far yet but i'll arrive at a conclusion eventually).
> 
> -I decided that N-Mi should be a Pomeranian because they're described as 'Playful, Friendly, Extroverted, Active, Intelligent, Sociable' and are known to be protective of their owners. seemed like the perfect companion for hakyeon.
> 
> -only jaehwan calls them the teen titans but they binge watch vigilante hero shows together when things get slow at the chamber.
> 
> thank you for reading!


End file.
